Stringed musical instrument



Aug. 18, 1931.

J. E. SHERMAN STRIENGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 20. 1929 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN E. SHERMAN, OF FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL M. STONE,

' OF .A'ITLEBORO, LIASSACHUSETTS STRING-ED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed July 20,

- This inventionrelates to an improvement in a stringed.instrument'of the viol family,

such as a violin, viola or cello, and has for its primary object to produce an instrument of that type having a full resonant tone, the

belly of which vibrates and blends on all notes and with all bow pressures.

'A further object of the invention is to provide an equalizing frame which is secured to the under side of the belly of the instrument and is so constructed that all the fibers of the belly will be caused to vibrate in unison and which will prevent the formation of any vagrant or counterwaves in the instrument.

A violin embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view, the back of which has been removed; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The violin, selected for illustration, comprises a body 10 and a neck 11. The body 10, as shown in Fig. 1, is ofthe customary contour having an upper bout 12, a lower bout 13 and a center or middle bout 1 1. The body 10 is formed by the belly 15 and a back 16 suitably connected by the sides 17. Mounted upon the belly 15 is the bridge 18 which,

I 39 in accordance with the usual custom, is pro vided with feet 19 and 20, the location of which is indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines. The customary 7 holes 21 are provided in the center bout of the belly 15 at each side of the bridge 18 in the usual manner. The construction thusfar described is old and well known and forms no part of the present invention.

Secured to the under side of the belly 15 is an equalizing frame 25 which comprises a longitudinally extending bass bar 26, transversely extending bass bars 27 and 28 at each end. of the longitudinally extending bar 26, and an intermediate bass bar 29. The sound post 30, which is commonly employed in all violins, rests at its upper end upon the under face of the intermediate bar 29. The bars are of wood and are secured by adhesive or other means to each other to form the 1) frame which is attached to the under side 1929. Serial No. 379,671.

of the belly by adhesive in the usual manner. The grain of the wood extends longitudinally in each bar and it has been found that bamboo is a particularly desirable wood to be used for this purpose; This is undoubtedly due to the tubular, cellular structure of the bamboo, which extends lengthwise and by which there is provided a multiplicity of cells of various lengths; The bars are semi-cylindrical in cross section and tapered at their outer ends.

In an instrument so constructed the entire surface of the belly will respond to the vibrations produced by the strings whether the strings be open or choked or whether the bow pressure be heavy or light. The vibrations imparted to the'belly by the bridge are transmitted to the bar 26 which passes below the foot 20' and thence to the bars 27 and 28 so that they reach all parts of the surface. The bar 29 by reason of its contact with the sound post 80 and its close association to thefoot 20' of the bridge acts to transmit the vibrations of the low strings directly to the sound post and thence to the back of the instrument and furthermore since it is also close to the foot 19 it transmits the vibrations of the high strings to the frame.

The intermediate bar 29, while preferably I located as shown in the drawings and as above described, may be located elsewhere between the bars 27 and 28, and in such case the sound post 30 will bear directly against the under side of the belly in the usual manner.

\Vhile one form only of my invention has been illustrated'as embodied in a violin, it is not limited thereto since other forms and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a stringed musical instrument ofthe viol family the combination with the bridge and bellyof an equalizing frame secured to the under side of the belly and including a longitudinally extending bass bar below one foot of the bridge, a pair of transversely extending bars at the ends of the bass bar in the upper and lower bouts, and a sound post associated with the equalizing frame, the lower end of the sound post resting against the back of the instrument and its upper end contacting with said equalizing frame.

2. In a stringed musical instrument of the Viol family the combination with the bridge and belly of an equalizing frame secured to the under side of the belly and including a longitudinally extending bass bar below one foot of the bridge, a pair of transversely extending bars at the ends of the bass bar in the upper and lower bouts, an intermediate bar extending from the longitudinal bar in the center bout, and a sound post, the upper end of which contacts with the intermediate bar.

3. In a stringed musical instrument of the ViOl family the combination with the bridge and belly of an equalizing frame secured to the under side of the belly and including a longitudinally extending bass bar below one foot of the bridge, a pair of transversely extending bars at the ends of the bass bar in the upper and lower bouts an intermediate bar exending from the longitudinal bar adjacent to the bridge, and a sound post, the upper end of which contacts with the intermediate bar between its ends.

4. In a stringed musical instrument of the YlOl family the combination. with the bridge and belly of an equalizing frame secured to the under side of the belly and including a longitudinally extending bass bar below one foot of the bridge, a pair of transversely extending bars at the ends of the bass bar in the upper and lower bouts, an intermediate bar extending from the longitudinal bar.

and a sound post, the upper end of which contacts with the intermediate bar.

5. In a stringed musical instrument of the VlOl family having a bridge, the combination with the belly on an equalizing frame secured to the under side of the belly and a sound post between the back and belly and resting at its upper end against the frame and at its lower end against the back.

Signed by me at Foxboro, Massachusetts. this eighteenth day of July, 1929.

JOHN E. SHERMAN. 

